Maelstrom
by Ammykace
Summary: A pirate!AU. When Hikaru meets a mysterious boy he's drawn to and learns he's a pirate, well he wants to be a pirate too. Hika/Aki, Waya/Isumi


Maelstrom

When Hikaru saw the other boy, the first thing he thought, was that the stranger was lost. The boy was about the same age as him and was wearing slacks and a loosefitting shirt. His hair looked like his mom had used a bowl to cut it and his eyes were very intense, betraying his concerned emotions. Where had he come from? It was getting late as well, the sun was setting and the winds were picking up. Hikaru decided to go for it, he headed down the side of the bank to the beach and approached the child.

Akira heard him before he saw him and he titled his head slightly. It was another boy, seemingly unarmed. No one to be concerned with, so he didn't look.

"Hey." Hikaru said in a friendly tone. "Are you lost? I haven't seen you around here." He gestured to the small village behind them.

"I'm just waiting for someone."

"Oh. Do you want some company?" Hikaru asked, shifting a bit.

"If you want, but I don't think it's a good idea." Akira had never really spent time with other children before. He was the son of one of the most prolific pirates of their time and his job was to be on the ship and learn. He was going to have his own ship someday under his father and he was expected to know everything about it. People generally didn't want to sit with pirates. It was likely this other boy didn't know.

There was a bit of shifting as Hikaru lowered himself beside Akira, the sand feeling strange against his bare legs. He tried tugging his shorts down a bit, but that didn't make much of a difference. He sighed and then gave the other boy a smile. "I'm Shindou Hikaru."

"I'm...Akira." Akira told him and smiled a little bit.

"Where are you from?"

"I live on a ship really."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "Are you a pirate? Are they here?"

"They're not here for you guys. Don't worry. They're just retrieving the Captain. He insists on not pillaging unless it's necessary and we've still got more then enough of everything."

"Oh, that's the guy they were holding here?" Hikaru had heard some vague story about it. He didn't normally pay much attention to these things as pirates had never come and destroyed anything in his lifetime. He hadn't given them much thought.

"Yeah."

"What's it like, being a pirate?"

Akira paused, looking thoughtful as he looked up at the sky. "Well it's a lot of things. Exciting, mostly."

"Cool!"

He frowned a bit. "Don't even think it, it's not a good idea." Was this Hikaru boy stupid?

"What do you have to do to become a pirate? Get a boat and stuff?"

He twitched. Apparently so. "Get a...you think you can just get any old ship and start being a pirate?!"

"Well yeah..."

Akira got up and crossed his arms, facing the boy with passionate anger in his eyes. "Forget it! Just stay here all your life because you'll never be a successful pirate! You have to work at it!" Then he stormed off up the beach to head back to the ship. They were leaving soon anyway. It was just as well, that boy was incredibly stupid. It was always like that, people from the mainland who knew nothing of the work it took to live like they did. He decided right then and there to forget about anyone else, he'd devote himself to his studies and completely find the world's greatest treasures, go after them and become even more prolific then his father.

That night, Hikaru decided to become a pirate.

One thing Akira was right about, was that it took a lot of work to become a pirate. Hikaru had to slave at every single part time job he could get between then and the time he turned seventeen just so he could afford everything he needed and the ferry ticket to a big city. When he had finally gathered what he needed, he pulled his rucksack over his shoulder and headed out on the next ship.

It was exciting to leave the place he'd been born and he spent the entire trip at the railing, bouncing along excitedly as he watched the coastline disappear and reappear on the other side. How cool was that?

When his feet hit land he took off running to explore the city. In the city there were a lot of people and many shops. Prices were astronomical! There were hotels, bars and brothels - all things he'd never seen before in his village. Hikaru attempted to enter a bar, but he was denied due to his age so he found himself pouting on a bench, flopped gracelessly beside a young man, perhaps a year older then him with red spikey hair.

The young man laughed at him. He was wearing tan pants that were cut off at the calf and a dark green shirt with the sleeves torn off. Hikaru frowned at him. "Hey..."

The guy laughed and just waved it off. "Sorry, sorry. Still too young huh? Don't worry about it. Maybe if you're friendly you'll meet someone old enough to get you some ale."

Hikaru just sighed and glanced over the other. "Who are you?"

"Well that depends, who's asking?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Who are you? What do you do?"

Hikaru smiled slowly. "Shindou Hikaru and I'm going to become a pirate."

The redhead burst into fits of laughter. "...You?"

"Hey! I can do it!" He frowned, pouting.

Another young man came up sporting black pants, a white button down with a thick leather belt which looped around him twice and dipped on the right with the weight of a sword. He had a long blue coat on and it was topped with a black tri-cornered hat with white trim.

Hikaru stared at him wide-eyed.

The new man glanced at him brieftly and then nudged the redhead with his foot. "What are you doing wasting time here?"

He straightened up. "Sorry, Captain Isumi."

"Captain?" Hikaru squeaked. He'd never seen one. He looked impressive.

"Hey you can't talk to him!" The redhead exploded, defending his Captain's honour, naturally.

Isumi raised a hand and that silenced the other immediately. "Who is this?"

"Shindou Hikaru." Hikaru answered for himself.

Isumi smiled a little bit. This child had some serious guts.

"I told you-" He was cut off by a curt "Waya!" and Waya backed off, standing behind Isumi instead.

Hikaru glanced between them, completely unafraid, however he noticed now the sword that Waya had at his hip, that must have been hidden by the way he was sitting on the bench. "You're pirates...that is so cool."

Isumi laughed. "Why? Do you want to be a pirate?"

"Yes!"

"Why would you want to do that?"

There was a pause and Hikaru looked vaguely thoughtful. Waya smirked, there was no way he'd come up with a satisfactory answer. Most pirates were forced into the life - not that it was a bad one - but they hadn't had much of a choice.

Hikaru took a deep breath, wiped the sweat off of his hands on his pants and raised his eyes slowly to meet Isumi. They were bright, wide and excited. He grinned broadly and made his announcement. "Because it's cool!"

The captain laughed. "Well then, welcome aboard."


End file.
